Gen Z's Coping Mechanism is Humor
In recent years, Generation Z—aka anyone born 1997 onward—has risen to prominence as the loneliest and most anxiety–ridden generation. From a 2018 poll by the Pew Research Center, 70 percent of American teens reported depression and anxiety as a “major problem,” and in an American Psychological Association (APA) study of Gen Z in 2018, Gen Z is found to be the least likely generation to report good or excellent mental health. Uncertainty plagues the generation, from climate change and political polarization to school shootings and police brutality. Feelings of instability and disillusionment surround the present and future and can generate feelings of worry, loneliness, and depression.